EU wants Burma to resolve refugee crisis in Bangladesh

Text of report by Bangladeshi privately-owned English newspaper New Age website on 9 May

Myanmar [Burma] should initiate a move to resolve the Rohingya refugee problem regionally because that country has created the crisis, the European Union said in Dhaka Saturday.

"The (Rohingya) problem came from Myanmar. So any resolution should come from Myanmar," the European Union Head of the Delegation, Stefan Frowein, said a press conference Saturday.

He described Rohingya problem as a regional issue as several hundred thousand members of the community had fled their homes in Myanmar to take refuge in Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.

"It is a regional problem" and a holistic approach, involving China and ASEAN, is essential to resolve it, he said.

When asked whether the EU was taking any move to persuade Myanmar not to force members of the Rohingya community to leave their country, he said Myanmar was not an easy partner 'to talk to'.

He, however, said that the South East Asian regional grouping ASEAN, of which Myanmar was an active member, and China, which had 'privileged relationship' with Myanmar, could use their good offices to resolve the crisis.

He praised Bangladesh for hosting so many refugees for 18 years.

The EU ambassador said a new programme of 15 million euros was in the offing to improve the conditions of the local community living in the surroundings of the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.

Danish ambassador Einar H Jensen, French ambassador Charley Causeret, German ambassador Holger Michael, Italian ambassador Itala Occhi, Spanish ambassador Arturo Perez Martinez, Swedish ambassador Britt Falkman Hagstrom and Anja Roelofs, frist secretary of the Netherlands embassy, were present at the press conference at Dhaka Sheraton hotel.

Originally published by New Age website, Dhaka, in English 09 May 10.

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